CREDIT SCORES, CREDIT CARDS

How to make sure your credit history, financial data, account information and other essentials are strong and safe! In 2001, the average North American consumer spent nearly $40,000 on credit cards. By 2005, this average person will carry over $50,000 in consumer debt - not counting mortgages or car loans! This unsecured consumer debt is fundamentally changing the way Americans live: * the tradition of a home owned free and clear has become unusual as people borrow against their homes and refinance repeatedly to pay for discretionary spending * financing vacations, electronics and dining out with multiple credit cards is commonplace At the same time, credit scores have become the golden keys to successful borrowing. But what does it all mean? How do you know you’re managing your credit wisely? In a credit-based economy, your credit score means as much to you as money in the bank meant to your grandparents --and here's how to protect it!